Membership
Treat yourself or a loved one with the gift of Membership: enjoy free access to all exhibitions, access to our Members’ Room, priority booking to evening talks, and much more.
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Gucci to Prada: 20th Century Italian Fashion
Online course
+44 (0)20 7942 2000
Being up close with treasured objects from the V&A's collections brings your learning to life. Get precious time with incredible exemplars, as well as with our expert tutors and your fellow learners.
Everybody loves Italian fashion! But do they really know how it became so famous? This 5 week, 10 lecture course aims to unpack some of that history and to tell the story of some of the most iconic fashion houses of all time. Gucci, Prada, Armani, Dolce Gabbana, to name but a few. These are some of the key topics that will be covered: The culture of fashion manufacturing, from its artisanal roots to the highest levels of industrial production. Italian style and its representation in fashion magazines. The creation of world-famous fashion brands. The geography of Italian fashion. Internationalizing Italian fashion brands in the later 1900s. Heritage and modernity of Italian fashion in the 21st century. The future of Italian fashion.
V&A Academy Course Leader
Virginia Arabella Hill
Virginia is an anglo-italian dress historian based in Milan, Italy. She gained her BA degree in History of Art from East Anglia University, Norwich and her MA degree in History of Dress from the Courtauld Institute of Art, London.
I most enjoyed Virginia’s ‘all-in’ attitude, passion for her subject, and breadth of knowledge. I’d love to sit and enjoy a cappuccino with her at a cafe in Milan and just listen! Previous V&A Academy Course Attendee
Membership Priority Booking will open at 10.00 BST on Wednesday 8 October 2025. General Booking will open at 10.00 BST on Tuesday 21 October 2025.
Being up close with treasured objects from the V&A's collections brings your learning to life. Get precious time with incredible exemplars, as well as with our expert tutors and your fellow learners.
Enrol now
Online course: Gucci to Prada: 20th Century Italian Fashion
22 January 2026 - 19 February 2026
£125.00
Need help enrolling? Talk to the admissions team:
+44 (0)20 7942 2000
Open 10.00 - 13.00, Monday to Sunday (closed 24-26 December)
